Posted!

Join the Conversation

Comments

Welcome to our new and improved comments, which are for subscribers only.
This is a test to see whether we can improve the experience for you.
You do not need a Facebook profile to participate.

You will need to register before adding a comment.
Typed comments will be lost if you are not logged in.

Please be polite.
It's OK to disagree with someone's ideas, but personal attacks, insults, threats, hate speech, advocating violence and other violations can result in a ban.
If you see comments in violation of our community guidelines, please report them.

Post plans to cut some Battle Creek plant jobs in 2017

Post Consumer Brands plans to cut some cereal production jobs from its Battle Creek facility as a cost-savings measure for the company.

On Tuesday, the company said it is planning to shift some of Battle Creek's cereal production volume to other facilities in its network. The changes are expected to take place through 2017. It will result in the elimination of some of the factory's 569 employees, much of which the company said it expects through "retirements and normal turnover."

The company did not immediately share how many jobs are being moved or where they are going. Battle Creek Assistant City Manager Ted Dearing said Post has told the city the range of job losses is between 70 and 80 positions.

In a statement to the Enquirer, Post Senior Vice President of Operations Dave McBeain said optimizing production across the company's network helps lower costs, provide faster deliveries and flexibility to respond to consumer trends. With the Battle Creek facility, McBeain said it's "an important part of our production network and has a tremendous workforce that is over-achieving on nearly every goal we track."

“Our goal is to bring our staffing levels in line with the production we anticipate but to do it with the least possible impact on employees," he said. "That means eliminating new hires and using retirement and normal turnover to cover as many position reductions as possible.”

Post Consumer Brands plans to cut some cereal production jobs from its Battle Creek facility as a cost-savings measure for the company.

On Tuesday, the company said it is planning to shift some of Battle Creek's cereal production volume to other facilities in its network. The changes are expected to take place through 2017. It will result in the elimination of some of the factory's 569 employees, much of which the company said it expects through "retirements and normal turnover."

The company did not immediately share how many jobs are being moved or where they are going. Battle Creek Assistant City Manager Ted Dearing said Post has told the city the range of job losses is between 70 and 80 positions.

In a statement to the Enquirer, Post Senior Vice President of Operations Dave McBeain said optimizing production across the company's network helps lower costs, provide faster deliveries and flexibility to respond to consumer trends. With the Battle Creek facility, McBeain said it's "an important part of our production network and has a tremendous workforce that is over-achieving on nearly every goal we track."

“Our goal is to bring our staffing levels in line with the production we anticipate but to do it with the least possible impact on employees," he said. "That means eliminating new hires and using retirement and normal turnover to cover as many position reductions as possible.”

The company said it's engaged in bargaining with Local Union 374 of the United Cereal, Bakery, and Food Workers of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union to "mitigate the impact of the production shifts."

Dearing said the decision is difficult from the city's perspective, especially given its historic connection to cereal manufacturing at Kellogg Co. and Post, founded in the city in 1895 by C.W. Post. He said the city of Battle Creek recognizes it is a difficult time in the cereal industry — largely due to changing lifestyles and consumers shifting towards healthier breakfast options. It's understood that companies need to make these kinds of decisions, he said.

"Because the cereal market is a challenging market right now, we know there are companies with excess capacity in our system and it’s going to impact jobs," Dearing said. "I don’t think it’s unique to Battle Creek but it’s unique to that industry. The consequences of a stagnant market are what we’re seeing in Battle Creek."

Post Consumer Brands is a subsidiary of St. Louis-based Post Holdings Inc.